Understanding
by smaragdbird
Summary: Family reunions can be painful even under the best circumstances. If the circumstances aren't the best...  John/Remy slash


Tonight, after a call from the mansion, John was unusual quiet and withdrawn. Remy hadn't asked because that never worked with John but at least he seemed to have had a good time at the bar. Remy had seen him chatting amiably with a girl while he had played cards.

Though back at home John leaned against the kitchen table and said:

'Storm says my parents want to meet me.'

Up to this point Remy hadn't even known that John still had parents so he said nothing.

'They want to meet me at the mansion.' John continued.

'How long has it been since you saw them?' Remy asked.

'Eleven years, give or take a few months.' John shrugged. Eleven years ago John had been nine. It must have shown on his face because John elaborated:

'When I was nine my mother was diagnosed with Pandorum. It's a rare genetic illness and we were all tested for it. That's how they found out that I have the x-gene. And within the same week my family left me at the mansion.'

The advantage of being an orphan was that there was no family that could let you down, Remy thought. Loud he asked:

'Do you even want to see them?'

'They're my family.' John said with a soft undertone.

'They sound very much like one.'

'But they are.' Unfortunately Remy knew that John was unable to keep the people at bay he loved no matter how much they had hurt him: Bobby, Magneto, Mystique, Remy and now John's parents were part of that circle.

'Will you come with me?' The question surprised Remy but he nodded.

/

They met in the mansion in one of the class rooms. John's mother was thin with reddish-blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked nothing like John, who looked more like his dark haired and eyed father.

John, who usually savoured his personal space, kept himself every close to Remy when they walked into the room. Remy had a very bad feeling about this meeting.

'Hello St. John.' John's father offered his hand but John had his arms crossed over his chest, lighter tightly in one hand and didn't move.

'They call me just John now.'

'Miss Munroe told us that you don't live at the mansion anymore.' John's mother smiled politely but neither of them had acknowledged Remy's presence in the room yet.

'I live in New Orleans. With Remy.'

'Are you roommates at University?'

'No.'

'Oh.' John's mother visibly struggled to keep her polite smile in place. John's father on the other hand didn't even pretend that he wasn't disappointed and disgusted:

'But you study there?'

'I dropped out of school four years ago, so no.' Remy could hear the effort not to yell at his parents in John's voice.

'What are you doing then?'

'I work with fire.'

'Like fireworks?'

'Mostly actual fire.' John opened his lighter and drew a flame into the open palm of his other hand. Remy observed with deep pleasure that fear flickered in the eyes of John's parents.

'It makes pyro-effects much easier when you have a pyrotechnician that has flames at his very beg and call.' The flame grew, enveloped John's whole hand and Remy could hear a sharp gasp. John turned his hand and the flames fell down like water and extinguished themselves on the floor.

'It's...good to see that you did something with your...' John's father began.

'With my?' John laughed hollowly.

'Your affliction.' His father finished. John winced like his father's words had wounded him physically.

'His affliction?' Magneto repeated deeply disgusted. After the whole thing around Alcatraz had settled down he had returned to the mansion to continue Xavier's dream: 'He's a God among insects.' He stepped into the room and laid a hand on John's shoulder.

'This school is not a place where we tolerate prejudice.' He continued icily: 'I suggest you leave immediately and don't return. And to placate your feelings of parental duty: John already has a family that takes care of him.'

People rarely disobeyed Magneto and John's parents were not different. Remy felt the urge to applaud. But when he turned around John was gone as well. He had an idea where John would be and wanted to follow him but Magneto stopped him.

"Let me speak to him first." Remy wanted to protest but Magneto added: "I have both more experience with family issues and with Pyro."

"I thought it would go better." Remy admitted. He hadn't been much of a help to John. Magneto gave him an indulgent smile that clearly told Remy that Magneto thought that he was young and some things only came with time.

/

'Hey.' Remy found John on the terrace later, playing with his lighter. When John didn't react Remy crossed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around John's waist.

'I thought they'd care.' John said quietly: 'I thought they'd understand.'

'They don't have to understand you.' Remy said firmly.

'They're my family...'

'Contre l'amour nul ne se peut défendre.' Remy said and pressed a kiss against John's neck.

'Qui.' John agreed: "Erik said something similar."

"I understood for the first time today why you admire him so much." Remy admitted and while he couldn't see John's small smile he could imagine it: "You're lucky to have him."

"Est-ce que nous pouvons aller à la maison?"

"Qui, chér." Remy let go of John's waist but immediately wrapped his arm around John's shoulders. He wasn't as good as Magneto when it came to words but he could provide the physical closeness he knew John craved when he felt miserable.

'Let's go home.'

'Okay.' John answered and drew Remy's arms tightly around him.

Contre l'amour nul ne se peut défendre. -

Nothing can defend itself against love.

Est-ce que nous pouvons aller à la maison?

Can we go home?


End file.
